Zhu Yao wasn’t a fool. Knowing Qiu Shu’s usual personality, how could she suddenly be so kind as to call herself sisters with her?

A weasel paying New Year’s respects to a chicken—harboring ill intentions!

Or she wanted something!

Qiu Shu looked at her own hand frozen stiffly in mid-air, a trace of awkward smile hanging at the corner of her mouth. Then, forcing herself, she said: “Zhu Yao, don’t be embarrassed, and don’t refuse me! I sincerely want to give this hairpin to you with good intentions and no other meaning. Just accept it, otherwise I’ll feel sad in my heart.”

As she spoke, she even squeezed out a few drops of tears from her eyes.

She was quite skilled at putting on an act!

Having gone through so much, Zhu Yao was long past being that naive and innocent little white rabbit. With the other party being so “ingratiating,” how could it be that simple?

She directly asked: “Miss Qiu, if you have something to say, just tell me directly. Don’t beat around the bush.”

Qiu Shu smiled, silently placing the hairpin in her hand back into the box, closing it and pushing it in front of Zhu Yao. As she did, she said: “What could I possibly have to say? I sincerely want to make friends with you, so please don’t overthink it! Seeing you were also here, I just happened to come sit and chat with you!”

“If you truly have no other intentions, how could you so coincidentally have the hairpin with you? Miss Qiu, if you don’t speak up, I’m leaving.” Zhu Yao had seen through her. Who would deliberately keep a hairpin on their person at all times? Obviously she had known she was here, which was why she deliberately brought this hairpin over.

Putting on this show of sisterly affection!

Hearing she was about to leave, Qiu Shu instinctively reached out to grasp her wrist, saying urgently: “Don’t leave.”

“Then speak up. What exactly is this about?”

“I know we’ve had some unpleasantness in the past. It was my fault—I always bullied you. But those things have all passed already. Can’t we just stop bringing them up? You also know my personality—I’ve always been straightforward, never had a filter on my mouth, and can’t hide anything in my heart. Because of this I’ve often offended many people. But I truly have no malicious intentions. I’m more upright than those who harm people in secret.”

“You’re going in circles and still haven’t said what this is really about.”

“I just came to apologize to you and want to get along well with you.”

“Actually, you want to talk about this triennial Courtesan Selection, right!” Zhu Yao really didn’t want to keep going in circles with her, so she simply helped her say it out loud.

“I told you your thoughts are the most delicate—I was right.” Qiu Shu once again intimately and grandly grasped her hand, her brows slightly furrowed, carrying a trace of pitifulness as she said: “Originally I shouldn’t come to you about this matter, but my sister said that for this Courtesan Selection, she cannot interfere and told me to handle it myself. Thinking it over, I could only come to you.”

“Even Her Majesty the Empress cannot help you—what could I possibly help you do?”

How truly laughable!

Her Majesty the Empress was below only one person and above ten thousand others, while she, Zhu Yao, was merely a young lady from a scholarly family with limited abilities. What could she help her with!

But Qiu Shu had already made up her mind long ago. She took a deep breath, suppressing all of her usual proud and arrogant manner, as if placing a mask on her face. With a few traces of calculation in her eyes, she said in an affable tone: “Of course you can help me. This selection is entirely presided over by the Ministry of Rites. Your father is the Minister of Rites. With just one word from him, even a small sparrow could fly up to the branches. So… if you could say a few good words for me in front of your father, that would be helping me.”

The fox’s tail finally showed itself!

Actually, Zhu Yao had roughly guessed this was the matter, but she hadn’t expected that such an overbearing and arrogant Qiu Shu would lower her face to beg her. It was quite unbelievable. However, thinking about it again, it made sense. The courtesan matter was ordered by the Emperor to be entirely entrusted to the Ministry of Rites. No one could interfere, including the Empress. Even the Emperor couldn’t interfere during the selection process—he could only make the final decision. So the person with the greatest authority was Minister Zhu!

Qiu Shu was the same age as Zhu Yao, so this year she had reached the age to participate in the courtesan selection too. She had originally thought that with her Empress sister as backing she could sweep through invincibly. How could she have known the rules were so infuriating—even her Empress sister couldn’t interfere. With no other option, she could only target Zhu Yao, which was why she deliberately brought a gift, hoping to make peace.

Did she really think everyone in the world was a fool?

Zhu Yao was naive, but not stupid!

She could distinguish between truth and falsehood.

Zhu Yao was about to refuse her—

Qiu Shu raised her eyebrows and threw out the conditions for exchange, saying: “If this succeeds, I, Qiu Shu, will owe you a great favor and will definitely repay you in the future. I’ll also say some good words for you in front of my sister.”

She had always been skilled at such transactions and believed everyone would take the bait! Because those young ladies who associated with her all had this purpose—hoping she would say good words for them in front of her sister, so they might gain a good future or a good marriage. So she felt Zhu Yao would also be tempted by this.

Child, you really don’t understand people very well!

Zhu Yao once again pulled her hand back and still inconspicuously wiped it with her handkerchief, saying: “Miss Qiu, I’m truly sorry. I can’t help you.”

“Are you still harboring resentment toward me because of past matters?”

“Of course not. I have no resentment toward you. I won’t bring up past matters anymore either.”

“Then help me! It’s very simple for you to say one word in front of your father. If you help with this small favor, we’ll be the best of sisters from now on. If you have matters, I’ll definitely go through fire and water to help you too. Zhu Yao, seeing how sincere I am… just help me. This Courtesan Selection is very important to me.” Qiu Shu’s eyes were full of expectation and even more full of desire. Becoming the courtesan was the dream countless women yearned for.

Zhu Yao had always been a soft-hearted person. With Qiu Shu suddenly changing her face to say these things to her, she felt somewhat swayed in her heart. But thinking that if she agreed, it would be equivalent to secretly opening a back door for the other party, and if discovered, it might implicate her father—thinking of this, all her benevolence and reluctance disappeared.

Her tone was very firm as she told Qiu Shu: “Every year the courtesan selection is fair and just—everyone is the same. Moreover, even if I really did say a few words for you in front of my father, he might not necessarily listen. So forgive me for not being able to help you.”

“You…”

“Actually, Miss Qiu, you’re so beautiful and so talented. Many young ladies aren’t as good as you. I believe you can definitely be selected based on your own abilities. If you have me help, then even if you get in based on ability, others will think you relied on connections. Would you be happy with that?” Zhu Yao cleverly praised her while analyzing the pros and cons.

She had become considerably more clever!

Originally Qiu Shu felt angry that she had refused her, but after hearing these words, it seemed she couldn’t get angry anymore. Thinking about it, that reasoning made sense, so she raised her tone and said: “Naturally I rely on my own abilities and talents!”

“Since that’s the case, why did you come asking me to help you? Isn’t that superfluous?”

“…Uh!”

“Miss Qiu, I normally don’t know how to say nice things, but anything is still better when relying on oneself. I’m insignificant and have no say. My father might not necessarily listen! Moreover, I believe you will definitely stand out in this Courtesan Selection.”

She kept saying she didn’t know how to speak, yet she spoke so well.

Making it truly difficult for Qiu Shu to say more!

Actually… Qiu Shu was very clear in her heart about her own abilities. The only thing she could boast about was her identity as “the Empress’s younger sister.” As for things like zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, she only knew superficial basics. Her appearance was just so-so. She’d have to work really hard just to pass the initial selection—otherwise she simply couldn’t get in. That was why she thought to come ask Zhu Yao for help.

But with Zhu Yao saying these words, if she continued pressing Zhu Yao to speak well of her in front of Minister Zhu, wouldn’t that show she was too incompetent? Wouldn’t it also admit she was inferior to others?

A slap in the face!

After hesitating for quite a while with words on the tip of her tongue—

She still gritted her teeth and set aside her pride: “I’m just being cautious in case something goes wrong, which is why I came to ask for this small favor. Just mention it once—you don’t need to do anything else. Zhu Yao, our past unpleasantness is all behind us. I sincerely want to be sisters with you. Between sisters, shouldn’t we help each other?”

Truly a soul-searching question.